We’ve seen that fewer young people are participating in risky behaviours like drug use, smoking and drinking alcohol (Chart 4 in this section), but there’s also been a shift in their perception of risk. Compared with teenagers in 2004, today’s young people are less likely to see drug use, smoking, unprotected sex and walking alone at night as ‘risky’.

In fact the only one of these they are more concerned about, is binge-drinking – which may be why they have a particular reputation for their sobriety.

So it’s not that they are taking less risks because they see these behaviours as risky. It may be a reflection of shifting social norms more generally. In fact, there might still be work to do, to make sure they do understand the potential impact of these habits on their health and well-being!

And here's a thought-provoking titbit. Qualitative research suggests that there might be a connection between socioeconomic backgrounds and how young adults perceive and engage in health risk behaviours.¹ Middle-class young people, for instance, might view these behaviours in a positive light as a way to bond with peers,while working-class peers may perceive see them as potentially negative and a result of peer pressure. Lots of things interact to affect our perceptions of risk, and the choice we therefore make.